Posted on 08/23/2006 5:11:45 AM PDT by The Bronze Titan
How Luis Grass turned some very old Detroit iron into a seagoing escape vehicle. Twice.
In the ’60s, at the height of the Cold War, communist Cuba seemed dangerously close to the United States. After all, 90 miles is no distance at all for a nuclear-tipped ballistic missile.
But the Florida Strait is treacherous — a tough 90 miles to cover in any boat. With the Gulf Stream surging through along with the strong Florida Current, it’s usually windy with heavy swells. In hurricane season, the murderous storms seem to head right into it. Of course, there are plenty of sharks, too.
But it’s vastly more perilous crossing it in a Chevrolet, Buick, or Mercury.
“In the ocean the biggest boat is still, like, a little thing,” explains Luis Grass, now 38, who in July 2003 took 11 of his family and friends and almost made it to the U.S. aboard a green 1951 Chevrolet two-ton truck he had made, if not strictly seaworthy, at least seaworthy enough.
- read the rest of the story... here
See the U.S.A! In a Chevrolet!....................(very old commercial jingle)........
Indeed. But those are only the close-up shots. There were other pictures taken from a CG helicopter that gave perspective and showed how small those boats really were compared to the open ocean. That was no Sunday drive.
Of course, it's such a disappointment to them that they came to such an awful place, a country without universal health care, respect for diversity (or perversity), without opportunity except for a small, white segment of the population. I'm sure they wish they could go back to Cuba with all the wonderful characteristics which make that country so beloved of newsies and hollywood types. NOT.
Why anyone would want to leave an island paradise and free health care is beyond me.
Any boat will make you feel small on the open ocean.
IIRC the Coasties picked these guys up and sunk the boat/truck.
They picked the right time of year to cross, July.
I've seen many days in July when you could take a paddleboat or kayak across the Gulfstream.
Absolutely flat calm.
If you go sailing that month in S. Fla be sure you have plenty of fuel for the engine.
I love stories of people yearning to be free. This is one of the best.
I have a neighbor who left Poland as a young lady and crossed the East German border in full view of tanks on both sides. Miraculously, she made it unscathed. She met and married an American serviceman and came to America. I first met her when she came to my house to ask if I could get her a Bush/Cheney lawn sign like I had. She said "I've lived under Socialists, Kerry is a Socialist and cannot be elected." Needless to say, I went many miles out of my way to get her a lawn sign.
"A simple way to take measure of a country is to look at how many want in ... and how many want out." -- Tony Blair
And that swamp-scum "president" Bill Clinton and his Lesbian friend Janet Reno sent Eliot Gonzales back to the gulag after his mother gave her life to get him to freedom.
God help the Cuban people.
"They need one of these. It will accomodate a good number of refugees."
Yeah! Send a bunch of them with ignition keys that won't work for Communisrts but shocks them with 20,000 volts!
Wow. This guy needs to go places...he's got some drive...
He's got bigger ones than most...................
Cuba will again become the Las Vegas of the Caribbean after the Commies die off - which won't be too far off. And it will be a treasure trove of parts for old cars, too.
Best pun of the day award goes to . . .
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